


Sleeping Together

by DarkwingSnark, Moonbeamcat



Category: Batman: The Animated Series
Genre: ... or hay as the case may be, Accidental Gay, M/M, Pining, Regret, Sharing a Bed
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-14
Updated: 2018-12-14
Packaged: 2019-09-18 08:47:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 674
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16991808
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DarkwingSnark/pseuds/DarkwingSnark, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Moonbeamcat/pseuds/Moonbeamcat
Summary: Jonathan Crane continues to be tortured by the awkwardness of being close to somebody. Figuratively speaking and otherwise. Jervis gets to join the fun for the change, as he too becomes mortified.





	Sleeping Together

**Author's Note:**

> Yet again written completely by Moonie herself. I'm just the middle man.

Sharing the hay loft as their sleeping quarters had never once seemed odd before. They had limited space and only one pile of straw, it was logical, it was practical, and in no way questionable. It was business. It was necessity.

Jonathan Crane reminded himself of how not questionable this was, over and over again, in a fervent manner, as he lie there on his side, very unable to sleep. Why? Because the man he’d been sharing a hideout with was currently pressed against his back, arms wrapped snugly around his abdomen. Hatter, of course, no doubt had no idea. He was sleeping soundly. If only all could have been so lucky.

 _ **“This is weird, this is definitely weird**_.” His mind finally insisted, breaking through his mantra of logic and reasoning. And, so what if it was? Having another man wrapped around his person as if they were lovers, yes, of course this was strange and unnatural. But would it not be just as upsetting if Hatter had been a woman? … Yes, he supposed it would have been. It wasn’t the  _pseudo homosexual situation_  he found himself in that unnerved him, it was the  _closeness_ in general. It was alien, it was unknown, and Jonathan didn’t like the unknown. Not knowing meant not being prepared. Not being prepared led to others having the upper hand. Not being prepared meant giving up control.

The  _warmth_ was nice. His denial wasn’t strong enough to cover  **that** up. In fact, he had managed to now convince himself that this was the reason he’d not yet woken up Jervis by shoving him away and off from his person. He was being kept warm, it was  _survival._

Besides, Jervis knowing this was happening in the first place would only make things worse.

He’d finally begun to relax, ever so slightly, every muscle in his body slowly letting go of the clenched position they’d been in. That was, until the man wrapped around him suddenly shifted, and he felt hot breath against the back of his neck.

“ _Oh._ ” The word came out as a pathetic, frightened whimper, but the shiver that ran down his spine had not been born of fear. This situation was suddenly more than just weird. Jonathan clenched his eyes shut and forced himself to focus on nothing but his inner calculations, going over the formula for his Fear Toxin over and over again, curling into the protective confines of his own mind. Eventually these thoughts carried him away, and he was finally able to sleep.

* * *

 

Another beautiful morning in Wonderland. The Mad Hatter smiled, and nuzzled against the woman in his arms. Oh, his dear Alice. She’d yet to wake. Hatter buried his face in her hair and breathed in her wonderful–

Hatter’s smile faltered, but from surprise and confusion rather than distaste. That hadn’t been what an _Alice_  smelled like  **at _all._** No, that had been the distinct scene of a  _hare._  How silly! It seemed the March Hare had snuggled in beside him this morning. A scamp! This was fine. Hatter’s smile returned as he reached up to pet his furry companion on the head.

He was still doing this as the curtains of dreamland finally began to fall away, and Jervis suddenly found himself in whatever was left of reality for him. His smile really did vanish now, he froze, eyes wide.

Jonathan. He had been wrapped around a fellow criminal. And for how long? Luckily, Jonathan seemed to be fast asleep and none the wiser. Still, how awkward, how embarrassing! Hatter quickly let go and shuffled away, climbing down the ladder and busying himself with menial chores as to distract himself from what had just taken place.

He stiffened with a slight cringe when he heard Jonathan call to him from the loft.

“…Jervis?”

“… Yes, Jonathan?”

“Did you…  _sniff me?_ ”

“No, Jonathan, go back to sleep, now, it was but a dream.”

“Thank heavens for that.”

Hatter sighed in relief, allowing himself to ignore the heavy sarcasm he’d heard in those words.


End file.
